Hello Sunshine Hears Today's Girls Loud & Clear...And It's Sunnie Days Ahead!

Image via Hello Sunshine

Girls everywhere are scrolling for joy.

And five days ago on a summer stage at Cannes, they found it when their role model Reese Witherspoon announced the launch of Sunnie - a brand new sister company from Hello Sunshine built by and for Gen Z.

Get excited - it's true.

Nearly a year ago Hello Sunshine invited Être to partner in two innovative ways, and while both were noted in press releases from Hello Sunshine and Sunnie's foundational partner e.l.f., as well as highlighted in news articles from Variety, Forbes and more, I couldn't wait to say more here about why Sunnie is so special.

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First, Sunnie is special because they are listening to what Gen Z girls have to say...and they're doing it face to face. While Être is used to companies inviting us into the boardroom, Hello Sunshine offered a different seat at the table. Forming the first-ever Hello Sunshine Teen Advisory Board, they not only pulled out boardroom chairs for unfiltered discussion but gave girls next-level Board roles for authentic brand-building.

Stop for a moment and let that sink in.

Hello Sunshine executives like Maureen Polo, Crystal Surrency, Mukta Chowdhary, Annie DiGregorio, Jennifer Wiener, Gabrielle Blitz Rosen and so many more slid the mic to the next generation and encouraged them to co-create. And when 20+ girls from across the country voiced opinions, ideas and closely-held values, the Hello Sunshine team was all ears and action. Indeed, even the name Sunnie was first suggested by a Board member. She's fourteen.

The result? What matters to Gen Z matters to Sunnie - and it has from the start. One need only start following them on social - catch their rays here on Insta, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest - to see just how much content is audience-generated. It's fresh, forward-looking...and the fun has just begun.

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Sunnie is special for another reason - it is data-backed and survey-powered, grounded solidly in the latest Gen Z research. Aptly titled The Gen Z Rewrite: Joy is Rebellion, the national survey Hello Sunshine commissioned in partnership with Être and YPulse reveals not only the pressure felt by teens today, but another emerging and optimistic narrative. "While Gen Z is under pressure," the report starts, "they’re also reclaiming their power in small, intentional ways. They’re choosing happiness, creativity and connection on their own terms."

Hello Sunshine: The Gen Z Rewrite Report, conducted by YPulse in partnership with Être, June 2025

Who should be diving into this research? Everyone from parents and caregivers to educators, coaches and brands - anyone looking for an of-the-moment snapshot as to what Gen Z is thinking and feeling. The team at YPulse - leaders in decoding youth culture - did a spectacular job and you can learn more about their methodology and other teen/tween studies here. Plus, there is more coming. As the research report notes in closing, "It’s not just what we learned, it’s what we’re co-creating with the next generation."

Finally, Sunnie is special because of the experts and partner organizations signing on. From powerhouse E.L.F. BEAUTY to role models like Lana Condor, Molly Carlson and Raegan Revord to fellow strategic partners like AnitaB.org, Child Mind Institute, Lyda Hill Philanthropies' IF/THEN Initiative, Step Up, the Women's Sports Foundation and Purdue University, Être Girls is honored to be among them and ready to dive in with both feet to support Sunnie's mission.

Because summer is a time for jumping back into favorite connections and finding new communities. For jumping into every activity we can do without a phone in our hands...and when we pick up devices to take a break, blissfully scrolling for joy.

This summer girls everywhere - along with the big sisters, parents, caregivers, teachers and coolest-ever aunts looking over their shoulders - will be scrolling for joy.

I promise - they'll find it at Sunnie.

Looking forward with gratitude and unbridled delight,

Illana

ÊXTRAS: More ways to follow Sunnie you won't want to miss: Sign up for their newsletter here, upcoming zine here and DM them here to learn more about getting involved! Stay tuned - big things are rising!